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For What It's Worth

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Hi and welcome to the SHIFT blog tour! Thanks to Karen here at For What It’s Worth for hosting, and thanks to all the bloggers who’ll be taking part. Most of all, thank YOU all for coming to SHIFT’s Book Birthday party!

Before we get to the main topic of the day (Logan Patrick Keeley), I want to officially announce the title of the third book in the Shade trilogy.

(Titles rejected as less than perfect: SHAFT, SHOVE, SHAVE, and SHARK. Also, SHRUG.)

On to the post! I decided that today’s installment should be about Logan, since it would be hosted by one of his biggest fans. The Other Guy gets a lot of female attention, (especially from women over 30―what’s up with that?), so it always makes me smile when someone declares themselves Team Logan.

Because Logan is a lot like me. Now, I can’t sing or play the guitar. I’m rarely the life of the party. And I’m not seventeen, a guy, or, you know, dead.

But Logan and I have many of the same hopes and fears. We’re both a little (a lot?) self-absorbed, we’re both major hams, we both get ecstatic over shiny new things, whether it’s a band or the latest Vans skate shoes. We both could not live without music, especially the Irish kind. And no matter how many friends we have, we secretly believe that everyone thinks we’re a jerk.

Since Logan expresses himself best through music, it seemed fitting to base his post around one of the many playlists he made Aura. He created “Sucks to Be a Ghost (Sometimes)” after his death, during the period that SHADE takes place. Most of the songs are about Aura, but some are about his struggles with death and regret and feeling invisible.

You can think of it as sort of a SHADE playlist from Logan’s point-of-view, though it doesn’t follow the story chronologically like the SHADE soundtrack does.

This playlist is available―with my preferred choice of Flogging Molly song―for purchase from iTunes’s iMix site: Logan's Playlist: Sucks to Be a Ghost (Sometimes). Note: I make no money off the sales of my iMixes―I just like to spread the word about bands I love.

The first song, “The End is Where We Begin” by Our Lady Peace seemed like the perfect place to start, because of the title and the way it fades in. These lines just killed me:

Here I am

Waitin' for one last chance,

'Cuz this time we got nothing left to lose,

And everything is ruined.

But the end is where we begin.

After he dies and comes back as a ghost, Logan and Aura pick up where they left off, but in a way they’re also starting over. They can’t touch each other, so their relationship goes back to a more innocent, pure stage, when it was all about being together and sharing the things they loved, making each other laugh.

For a while, anyway.

The line “everything is ruined” is total Logan. He’s quick to declare disaster and blame himself for it, but just as quick to turn around and say everything will be fine―no, everything will be awesome, and he’ll be the one to make it so.

Nearly a year ago, Karen told me about Mumford & Sons, that they reminded her of Logan. When I was writing his short story, I played their LP Sigh No More over and over, five or six times a day. Often in tears. Almost every track is made for Logan, and I imagine him singing different songs to different people in his life.

“Thistle and Weeds” at first seems like Logan wanting Aura to move on and stop wasting away with grief over him.

Plant your hope with good seeds.

Don’t cover yourself with thistle and weeds.

Rain down, rain down on me.

But then he screams, “I will hold on” again and again. He can’t let go, not yet.

Interesting note? The thistle is the national symbol of Scotland. So maybe when Logan is telling Aura, “Don’t cover yourself in thistle and weeds,” it’s code for, “Stay away from that Scottish dude!!” (It’s anyone’s guess who the “weeds” might be.)

Coldplay’s “Til Kingdom Come” appeared at the end of the SHADE playlist, and appears again at the beginning of SHIFT. Aura describes it this way:

The one Logan created after he died, “Sucks to Be a Ghost (Sometimes),” was ending now, with a hushed acoustic tune. One voice, one guitar, the way he’d played for me so many times. The song was a bonus track―an afterthought for the artist, but a thread of hope for us.

A few minutes before Logan dies unexpectedly at the beginning of SHADE, he kisses her, his lips cold from drinking way too much, and whispers against her mouth, “Wait for me, Aura.” They were his last living words. When he disappears near the end of SHADE, he tells her not to wait for him. He knows she needs to move on.

But she does wait, every night, listening to the mix CDs and playlists he made for her. “Til Kingdom Come” ends like this:

If you’ve read SHADE and/or SHIFT, what do you think of Mr. Logan Keeley? (I promise not to feel bad if you think he’s a selfish, immature brat!) Do you want to smack him or hug him? If you haven’t read SHADE, what are some of your favorite love songs? You know the kind I mean, the ones that rip your heart out.

Answer one or more of these questions, or ask Jeri a question, in the comments below to enter today’s drawing. There will be two winners. (leave your email address so I can contact the winner)

The Prizes:

1) a signed copy of SHIFT, plus Logan’s playlist on iTunes, courtesy of Jeri. (Note: due to iTunes’s rules, the playlist may only be gifted within the US. International winners will receive a $15 iTunes gift card instead.)

2) an unsigned copy of SHIFT, courtesy of Jeri’s publisher.

*You are automatically entered to to win the Grand Prize by commenting.

This daily Giveaway is open for 24 hours - winner announced tomorrow. Each stop on the tour will have a giveaway!Every comment enters you to win the GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY - which is just made of awesomesauce!!

*Grand Prize: Annotated copies of both SHADE & SHIFT, plus a galley of the third book SHINE. There will be NO ARC's so this is an awesome prize!Plus and iPod Shuffle!Read all about it and comment on this post to enter.

*Author Bio: Jeri Smith-Ready’s next release is SHIFT (May 3), the second in the YA ghost trilogy that began last year with SHADE (which just came out in paperback April 5). She loves to hear from readers, so please visit her at www.jerismithready.com, or better yet, on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jerismithready) or Twitter (@jsmithready), where she spends far too much time.

Karen here! I just want to tell you guys what a thrill it is for me to be hosting this blog tour. I have loved all of Jeri's writing for several years now.As for the Logan question - yes, he's a selfish, immature brat! But what can I say, he loves with everything he's got and lives (or is dead??) in the moment. I love him and I'm always rooting for him. Team Logan!! C'mon you three girls out there! Who's with me??

One more thing - I happened to have got an early sneak peek at Logan's short story for Enthralled and it is one of my favorite things Jeri has ever written.

I have just read Shade...and yes I want to smack him.But I also want to smack Aura too. ;o)One song I am really into at the momment is 'She' by Lee MacDougall..and it reminds me of Aura and Zachary.twimom101 @ yahoo .com

Well it depends sometimnes I want to hug him and then there are other times I want to smack him. Like when he sang that song to Aura. I just wanted to hug him so hard but then just when u think he is ready to move on he turns Shade then I wanted to smack him so hard. But all I did was bawl. This is one of the best YA books I have read I love this series and can not wait for Shift to come out. Jeri I love all of ur books thank you so much for all of ur awesome reads.

I feel almost as torn between Logan and Zachary as Aura, however, I'm pretty sure that NOTHING would keep me away from that amazing accent...Yes, I'm one of the over 30 crowd who is LOVING this character =) The Plain White T's - Rhythm of Love has reminded me of the book since I first heard it. Thank you for the playlist!! kchilyard (at) yahoo (dot) com.

I have to admit I'm intrigued by the sound of these, but haven't read any as yet.

My favorite love song has got to be The Power of Love by Jennifer Rush. For me it is a very emotional reminder of my nan who passed away last year after an 8 year battle with cancer. She was my hero and I have very fond memories of her.

OK, well, thanks for all your thoughts on Logan! He's going to go sulk now and wish I hadn't asked about the smacking. ;-) I am curious to see how readers change their view of him (or not) after reading SHIFT.

To answer your questions:

Krystal: I've never really based a main character on a real-life person. Occasionally I might have someone in mind for a minor character, though--not that I would ever tell! I discover the characters' qualities as I write the story. I get to know them by spending time with them, the same way I would get to know a real person. That might sound weird, I dunno.

melissasmeanderings: Hmm, I didn't really set out to choose ghosts as opposed to another paranormal type--they sort of chose me when I had the idea for a world where a large portion of the population could see them. I guess I'm fascinated with that boundary between life and death. There's something tragic about ghosts and yet at the same time, they get a second chance at experiencing something sort of like life, at least in my universe.

Dina: Nope, SHADE will be a three-book trilogy. ;-) I think the last one, SHINE, will be pretty long, though, to wrap up all the stories and mysteries.

lostinthestacks: Yes, absolutely! My trip to Ireland and Scotland was all kinds of inspiration for SHINE. I'd written the rough draft, and now I can't wait to fill in the details and change a few things in the next draft, based on what I've learned and seen. There's no substitute for actually visiting the places the characters walk and talk. I feel very lucky to have been able to go. But now I miss it so bad! :-(

I want to smack Logan at times, but some of the time i just want to hug him. It must be tough to see the people he loves move on when he can't.

some of my faveourite love songs are:

promise me - Kill Hannah(its more about heartbreak i guess, but heartbreak comes with the whole issue of love. plus it sort of reminds me about Logan and Aura - him knowing he's done something which means he's lost her)

This is awesome! I'm going to start reading SHADE probably this week but with all that fuss I'm already excited for SHIFT :DI don't have any question for Jeri yet (maybe on one of the the next blog stops?) but I wish her lot of success. Can't wait to read your books!

Oh, and my favorite love song is Bruno Mars - Just the Way You Are, because it has beautiful lyrics :)

I haven´t read it yet, but I would love to.One of my favourite love songs (and the first that came to my mind) is Here Without You by 3 Doors Down, every time I hear it, it makes me want si sing along. Aloud.Thanks for the giveawayseesen9[at]gmail[dot]com

This is such a good giveaway! I've been dying to read SHIFT ever since i read SHADE! Logan...oh Logan is a man after my own heart. My boyfriend is Irish..The Keeley Brothers and Irish, yes please. I do want to smack him upside the head a lot but i also just want to hug him just the same. My favorite song would have to be....Its soo hard to choose. Right now Im on an 80s hiphop kick. I think my favorite song is For the First Time by The Script. I love love love this song, i belt it out in my car everytime i listen to it.

First off I loved Shade & can't wait to read Shift. I loved this post because I like reading about music and how it relates to the story and the characters.

I both love & hate Logan. I love that he cares about Aura & wants what is best for her. I hate him because he ended up dying because he did stupid stuff, I am not a fan of the drinking & drugs. Not that anyone is perfect, but that really annoyed me about him. So sometimes I want to smack him & other times I want to hug him. I like both boys at this point in time (but I definitely like Zachary more), so we will see what happens after I read Shift!

I was a true Team Zachary fan at the end of Shade. Now that I've read SHIFT though, Logan stole a little piece of my heart. Don't get me wrong I still love Zachary especially in a kilt. Little Lion Man was a perfect song for Logan in SHIFT as well.

So, I love Logan. In fact, I'm Team Logan. His personality really shines, and we get so many different facets from him in SHADE. You write him really well.

As for songs, I'm a huge Rise Against girl, so I love that you have one of their songs on your playlist. But the novel I'm working on has tons of Florence + The Machine references. I can't choose one favorite heartbreaking song, but I love hearing what every one else is coming up with.

Yay thanks for the giveaway! I just got a copy of Shade and haven't had a chance to read it yet. I'm not sure if its considered a love song but Whiskey Lullaby by Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss makes me cry everytime I hear it.

Well as I do have a copy of Shade, I'm going to have to go ahead and read it now (was planning on waiting for Shift too) just to see why everyone wants to smack Logan. Guns N' Roses - Every Rose Has Its Thorns my fav.(\___/)(='.'=) (")_(")

I love how Logan is so exuberant about everything, and I can understand why Aura fell in love with him. But he's also so immature, and I can't give him much credit, mostly because of the way he died. It was just so stupid. I do feel bad for him in a way, but then he acts completely selfish and like all that matters is him in the spotlight. So yah, you could firmly say that I'm on Team Zachary. I don't quite make the 30+ crowd (haha, too funny) but I suppose I'm closer to that than a teenager.

I am currently reading Shade and I like Logan, but I think I'll be on Team Zachary once I finish the book. It's just a feeling I have. I did really want to smack him on the back of the head after he went off and died (I mean, seriously? I know people get stupid when they're drunk, but really?? How did he miss the sign that said it was a bad idea to mix alcohol with drugs???). I think it's probably the first time I've wanted to slap someone who just died. He does seem really sweet to Aura though.One of my favourite love songs: Almost Lover by A Fine Frenzy. LOVE THAT SONG!

I love Logan. Granted he does overreact a little. But wouldn't we be more upset if he didn't? I know I would. I just have to keep telling myself how I would react in his position. It's a very difficult one. I'd want to hug him, because it's a tough situation. But then smack him for being a pain ;)

And even though I've read Shade, one of my favorite love songs is 3 libras by A Perfect Circle.

Shade was amazing! I loved the characters and their story! Shift is so soon. Thank you for this great series!I love seeing and hearing all of the songs that were on your mind while writing. Makes the anticipation skyrocket. kasuranna at yahoo dot com

I liked Logan, it was Aura who annoyed me. I felt sorry for him because his frustration is understandable. Even if he did make a very stupid mistake. Aura though, although she senses him she decides to fall into someone else's arms anyway. That I didn't sympathise with as much.

^Whoops! Clicked Post Comment before I answered the question :P Um, as of right now I kinda want to smack Logan. He's kinda a jerk-face...but at the same time I think he's a good person on the inside so I feel bad for him and kinda want to give him a hug.

@Karen- yay! Now i'm just going to flood the comments with all the reasons why i love Logan.... just kidding i think your blog would crash because there are a bazillion reasons why i love that boy!

@Just Another Book Blog- NEW.BEST.FRIEND. i absolutely agree with you! Logan is the only character in the history of EVER to make me bawl like a baby & be a crazy fan-girl at the same time! I told Jeri in a freakishly long e-mail that Logan's scenes like touch my soul. No Joke. just something about him! <3

I love Logan! I was a little annoyed with him in the beginning about the way that he died, drug overdose seems like a stupid and selfish way to go. Later on though, I just wanted to give him a big hug :) He seems so lonely, it breaks my heart :'(

Wow, so many comments! Glad to see people feel strongly one way or the other--that's the important thing. (Although Logan is sad that he hasn't made the whole world love him, as is his goal in life, uh, afterlife now.) I can't wait to see the reaction to tomorrow's post about The Other Guy (shh, can't mention the name on Logan's day).

June, great questions! Hmm, I haven't had many weird reader encounters at all. Usually the worst for me is at a booksigning when people ask me where the bathroom is. :-D And no, I've never seen a ghost, and I very much do NOT want to. I am very happy leaving the paranormal stuff to the imagination. :)

I really dont like him some of the time. He seems like he wants everyone to stay with him and not move on after he made such a mistake, especially Aura. I can understand wanting them to forgive him, but sadly everyone else still has a life to live that he cant be a part of.

For Jeri, what are some of the things you have found advantages in while writing a YA book over a Adult one?

I am officially an idiot for asking if people wanted to smack Logan. I might as well have asked if you wanted to smack *me.* (Don't answer that. ;-)

Donnas: There are definitely some advantages to writing YA vs. adult. YA is less constrained in both plot and writing style, especially when compared with adult genres like romance and fantasy. Younger readers tend to be less set in their ways and expectations. Look at things like verse novels, or the use of first-person present tense. Very popular in YA but almost nonexistent in adult fiction.

I think readers also cut teen characters a little more slack in the way they feel and behave, so we're allowed to paint them more realistically, more humanly. I think there's more emotional honesty in YA books for that reason.

For instance, look at people's reactions to Logan's death and Aura's mourning. If they were adults, readers would be a lot less forgiving. But I think (I hope) I managed to make them believable and sympathetic despite being way less than perfect. I'm not interested in reading or writing about perfect people of any age, but I find that teens characters are judged less harshly.

So as long as we create a good story and believable characters, we can write the books any way we want. Which is a wonderful creative freedom I definitely don't take for granted!

I guess you can say that in my opinion, Logan is just stalkerish. In a weird way. I mean, can't he just leave Aura alone? Can't he let her move on? Logan is dead and even though Aura can see him and he can somehow communicate with her, doesn't mean that he can have Aura all to himself. He needs to let it all go and let Aura move on to Zachary.